Gambiaj.com – (Banjul, the Gambia)- At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Vice President Mohammed B.S. Jallow painted a picture of The Gambia as a country firmly on the road to democratic consolidation. Speaking before world leaders at the 80th session, he highlighted institutional reforms, new anti-corruption measures, and preparations for the 2026 presidential election as signs of progress since the fall of Yahya Jammeh in 2017.
“Preparations are progressing smoothly for the 2026 Presidential Election, and we remain resolved to maintaining international standards and consolidating participatory democracy, sustainable development, and good governance,” Jallow said.
He pointed to the enactment of the Special Prosecutor’s Office Act 2024, designed to handle atrocity crimes and serious human rights violations, and the Anti-Corruption Act, which for the first time establishes an Anti-Corruption Commission. These measures, Jallow argued, show the Barrow administration’s determination to deliver “restorative and transformative justice.”
But while Jallow assured the UN that democracy and human rights are thriving, events back home tell a more complicated story. In mid-September, police violently dispersed citizens who had gathered outside the National Audit Office to protest the forceful removal of the Auditor General. Journalists were assaulted, activists arrested, and teargas fired indiscriminately.
The situation escalated days later in Jabang, where members of the Police Intervention Unit and the Anti-Crime Unit were filmed slapping detainees who were already in custody. A journalist at the state broadcaster GRTS, drew particular alarm after her home was allegedly stormed by officers who beat family members, stole money, and tried to delete video evidence of the raid.
Civil society groups, including Team Gom Sa Bopa and GALA (Gambians Against Looted Assets), have denounced the incidents as a dangerous slide back into authoritarian practices. They have urged the National Human Rights Commission and the police’s disciplinary units to investigate. For now, there has been no official response.
Jallow’s speech sought to reassure the international community that the 2026 elections will be credible and that reforms are on track. But at home, the brutality on the streets and in private homes has revived fears that the promise of “Never Again” may be slipping out of reach.
